#hawkspider

The full moon glinted above the gaps in the looming trees, casting a silvery light upon the huge crowd of cats. Spiderleg squeezed past dozens of unfamiliar pelts as he struggled to keep up with his friend group. Squirrelflight, Thornclaw and Ashfur were bouncing up ahead, chattering like songbirds, their voices brimming with excitement. This new Gathering place was still very new to them all, as were all the lake territories. Spiderleg began to shout after the trio, but suddenly, a familiar fishy scent pierced his nose. His eyes darted around rapidly, before landing on a tabby pelt he knew all too well. 

Hawkfrost! That slimy gizzard face! 

The muscular brown tabby stood by a cluster of bushes, all by his lonesome, his tail tip tapping impatiently on the floor. His white belly fur was darkened by the shadows of the thick undergrowth, and the tom’s glossy, fish fed pelt looked sleek and shiny in the moonlight. Spiderleg couldn’t help but stare, his face flushing traitorously. Then, Hawkfrost’s eyes looked over in Spiderleg’s direction, locking gazes with the ThunderClan tom. Hawkfrost’s posture straightened considerably and he raised a paw, beginning to wave excitedly.

“Spiderleg! Spiderleg! Oh, Spiderweb!” 

Spiderleg’s ear tips burned, and he hoped to StarClan no one had heard Hawkfrost use his sappy nickname. 

“Come sit by me!” Hawkfrost‘s yowl boomed across the crowd and he tapped his tail on the ground beside him. Spiderleg quickly checked his surroundings before taking a paw step. His friends had gone to sit near the gaggle of WindClan cats and none of his other clanmates seemed to be paying him any mind. 

Fine, Fine. 

Spiderleg surveyed the area one last time, before padding over to the RiverClan warrior. Hawkfrost chortled in delight and he got to his paws. Spiderleg glanced wearily behind his back once more, and Hawkfrost seemed to notice this. Turning his head, the tabby tom took a few paw steps deeper into the bushes. He gave Spiderleg a look, and flicked his tail beckoningly for him to follow. Grateful to be somewhere more private, Spiderleg quickened his pace to catch up with the tabby’s retreating form. The pair settled under the shade of a thick branch, leaves drifting in the wind overhead. Hawkfrost patted down a small patch of grass and plopped down. Spiderleg hmmphed and settled gracefully down next to his partner.   The brown tom loomed over Spiderleg’s head, making him feel short despite his lanky limbs. Hawkfrost turned to grin broadly at him. 

“Hey, Spiderleg. What brings you to this totally normal corner of the Gathering?” Hawkfrost’s silky-smooth voice purred, his ice blue eyes flicking across Spiderleg’s lithe frame. Spiderleg squirmed beneath his pelt and shot a frown at the RiverClan warrior. 

“Don’t act so coy, Hawkfrost.” Spiderleg grunted. “You asked me here, and you know the chewing out I’ll get if Squirrelflight sees me talking to you. My other clanmates will be suspicious as well.” Hawkfrost laughed softly, his dark whiskers twitching. 

“Relax, it’s a Gathering. Squirrelflight may not like me, but you can talk to whomever you please. No one will fault you if your talking to a tom from another clan right now.” 

He leaned in closer, his gaze suddenly fixed on Spiderleg’s face. Spiderleg gulped, his pelt beginning to burn.

 “I can be very charming when I want to be. I’m sure no one will have an issue with us, just talking.” His eyes shone knowingly. 

Spiderleg growled grumpily, feeling too hot beneath his fur. Hawkfrost always knew how to get him riled up. Why did I ever even start hanging out with him? No wonder Squirrelflight hates him! 

Spiderleg huffed in mock annoyance inside his mind. I guess I do have bad taste in cats, just like Shrewpaw always said. 

“Stop that, fish-brain.” Spiderleg snapped, his face warm. “It’s weird, and besides, We’re literally in a secluded sector of the island. I’m sure it’ll look totally innocent if someone finds us hidden away from everyone else.”

Hawkfrost blinked and tipped his head. 

“You could leave you know, if you really wanted to.” 

Spiderleg stiffened. 

“What do you mean?” The black and brown tom grunted, trying to infuse as much sternness as he could into his tone. 

“You didn’t have to meet me here. You could have to declined my offer. You could have stayed with your little friends and been completely non-suspicious.” 

Spiderleg felt his belly twist. 

“But you came anyways. And I appreciate that.” Hawkfrost got to his paws again and pressed against Spiderleg’s side, his brown tabby fur brushing the ThunderClan warrior. Spiderleg muffled a squeak of surprise. He shifted his face around until it was back to a hardened glare. 

“Oh really? Like I had any choice. It was either talk to you or those WindClan schmoes.” Spiderleg sniffed, twitching his thin tail. “I wish I’d picked the latter, their probably far less obnoxious.” 

Hawkfrost barked a laugh, his tabby frame shaking with amusement. Spiderleg’s insides softened and he smiled for a heartbeat, before returning to a perturbed look. 

Hawkfrost finished chuckling and wiped at his muzzle with a paw. 

“What a devious otter-heart you are, insulting the RiverClan leader’s former apprentice!” 

Spiderleg snorted. 

“Is that what you think’ll save you? Being in Leopardstar’s good graces?”

Hawkfrost nodded cheekily. 

“I was deputy once before, remember? She trusts me, she’d never think I’d-“

“-be mates with someone from a different clan.” Spiderleg finished his sentence with a sigh. “You really think that’s gonna help? We’re going against the warrior code you know. My parents always told me to never get involved in forbidden romances.”

Hawkfrost squinted at him. 

“If you really valued the code and your parents’ opinions above me, you wouldn’t be here now, would you?” 

Spiderleg clamped his jaws shut, not having a good response to that. 

“I- whatever.” Spiderleg grumbled, fidgeting his paws. A deep purr rumbled in the RiverClan tom’s throat. 

“I care about you too, you know. I love you, Spiderweb. More than any code or judgement from my peers.” 

The good ThunderClan warrior in Spiderleg wanted to make a angry remark and defend the rules he had lived by his whole life. But the sappier side of Spiderleg was in control now and he couldn’t stop a low purr from rattling in his chest. Spiderleg looked away quickly, embarrassed. The fox-heart thinks he can win me over with sweet words and a declaration of love? 

Hawkfrost chortled, pressing his muzzle to Spiderleg’s forehead gently.

Alright it’s working. 

“Fine, fine, FINE.” Spiderleg grunted, and screwed up his muzzle. 

“I love you too, Hawkfrost. Only a little bit though.”

Hawkfrost beamed happily and licked at Spiderleg’s ears. 

“A little bit is enough for me.”

Spiderleg rolled his eyes, feeling his belly beginning to untwist.

“It’s all you’re getting.” He meowed stiffly, bumping his head against the tom’s chin. 

Hawkfrost’s tail thumped against the floor cheerfully and Spiderleg batted at it with a paw. 

Then, the sound of hushed silence fell over the crowd behind the tangled brush. The leaders were starting to speak.